In a conventional rope grab the body is provided in one-piece having a channel defined by a pair of opposing flanges interconnected by an adjoining web. The rope grab includes a cam and lever pivotally connected to the body via a fixed shaft connected to and bridging the pair of opposing flanges. The cam is biased via a flexible wire so that it presses against a rope or other lifeline which passes through the channel of the body. The flexible wire typically protrudes outside the body of the rope grab. In operation a user connects herself/himself or a load to the end of the lever of the rope grab via a coupling arrangement. If the user falls or loads the lever the coupling arrangement forces the cam to clamp the rope within the channel to lock the device onto the rope thereby arresting the user's fall or providing a temporary anchor point on the lifeline. The rope grab is connected to the rope by threading one end of the rope into the channel enclosed by the cam.
In a variation on this conventional rope grab the fixed shaft is designed so that it can be retracted from the body to release the cam and lever to expose the channel. The rope anywhere along its length can then be placed within the channel and the cam and lever returned to the body with reinsertion of the retractable shaft.